Date: 26 January 2011 Times Guardian Mail January26 2011 Opposition: Fulham Telegraph Independent Mirror Competition: League Echo Liverpool's slice of luck helps Dalglish to expand on a familiar theme Dalglish sets sights higher after lacklustre Liverpool ride luck to stay on Liverpool 1 Fulham 0 the rise Nigh on 20 years had elapsed between Kenny Dalglish's two most recent wins as Liverpool manager. Now he has a second victory in five days and it was enough to Four league games into his second coming and Kenny Dalglish has Liverpool where Rafael Benitez left them: seventh in the table and longing for new faces to earn him another place in the record books of a club with whom he will always be take them higher. It really is like the Roy Hodgson era never happened. indelibly linked. Victory over Fulham last night was fortunate, in terms of the manner of the Slender the margin of victory at Anfield last night may have been, and fortuitous decisive goal and the desperate rearguard action needed to preserve a second the decisive own goal by John Paintsil undoubtedly was, but it was enough to ensure that Dalglish now has the best win ratio of any manager in Liverpool's successive clean sheet and win for Dalglish's team. The pass-and-move philosophy the Liverpool manager follows was fractured compared to Saturday's illustrious history. The Scot may blanch at the idea of his return prompting an performance at Molineux and Mark Hughes had every justification for lamenting a outbreak of romance but it seems the chemistry between Liverpool and their pointless trip to Anfield. Not that Dalglish should care one iota. He now has a greatest living legend stands the test of time. There was nothing special about Liverpool's performance and they ended the foundation to the feelgood factor his appointment was guaranteed to bring in the game on the back foot with Fulham twice going close to equalising, but the three form of the club's highest league position of a trying season. Operation Permanent Appointment is proceeding well. points earned took them to seventh in the Barclays Premier League - the highest "I think we are better than seventh but it [the table] is getting a wee bit more position they have occupied this season. Having taken over 16 days ago with form realistic now," Dalglish said. "We will not get carried away with seventh, that's not and morale at a low, that may be the achievement that Dalglish cherishes the most. Call it Murphy's Law, inevitability or just plain old fate, but if there was one where this football club wants to be." Liverpool got the breaks Dalglish believes they have lacked in recent weeks. He certainty about this game it was that it would feature a controversy involving an now needs Fenway Sports Group, the club's owner, to make similar headway in assistant referee. And so it was that after six minutes Liverpool, the beneficiaries the final five days of the transfer window to underpin the progress made. Deals of the correct implementation of the offside rule at the weekend, had a goal ruled for Luis Suarez and Charlie Adam have inevitably stalled as Liverpool offer only out that should have stood. Fernando Torres was at very worst level when Raul Meireles released him with half the pounds 25m and pounds 8m respectively that Ajax and Blackpool want for their players. Ajax have set a deadline of Saturday for any deal for Suarez to be the kind of slide-rule through-ball that the Spain forward thrives upon. But after completed. Dalglish said: "The finance is there. Everything is in place but it's clipping past David Stockdale, Torres's joy immediately turned to disappointment difficult to get players out of other clubs at this time. If we do not get anyone it is as what would have been his tenth goal of the season was ruled out. As one wag not for the want of trying." pointed out, Sian Massey would have got that one right. The expansive style of football with which Liverpool have become reacquainted Fulham arrived with a record of one win in their previous 29 Premier League away fixtures, although only Manchester City had conceded fewer goals on their travels after the departure of Roy Hodgson and appointment of Dalglish dictated that this season. That provided Hughes with sufficient encouragement to take the they would continue to create chances, however, particularly with Meireles game to Liverpool and, a brief and costly wobble at the start of the second half flourishing in the space between midfield and attack. Hodgson had been unable aside, his players adhered to the plan. to nail down a position for Meireles despite signing him but the Portuguese now has a definitive function and it is one that recent performances suggest suits him The visitors barely allowed the hosts a touch in the opening minutes yet should have fallen behind to Liverpool's first attack. Raul Meireles, retained in an well. Had it not been for Stockdale's reflexes then Meireles would have had his advanced role with the returning Steven Gerrard in central midfield, split Fulham's third goal in as many games, a header repelled by the goalkeeper's outstretched central defence and Fernando Torres held off Aaron Hughes to beat the hands. Like Meireles, Stockdale is in a rich vein of form, in the absence of Mark goalkeeper David Stockdale with ease. The same combination had beaten the Schwarzer, who is at the Asian Cup, and the save he produced to turn Glen Johnson's shot over the crossbar was perhaps even better. offside trap to deliver Liverpool's much-publicised opening goal at Wolverhampton Wanderers but here the heavens - or something in the sky - Fulham, whose small contingent of fans became the first at Anfield this season to intervened as the male assistant referee ruled that Torres had strayed marginally sing Hodgson's name without it being with malicious intent, grew in stature after offside. Liverpool were unable to capitalise on their early dominance and Pepe Reina was forced to make two saves in quick succession. First from Clint Dempsey, who did "We had some good luck tonight but also some bad luck. Fernando's goal was onside," the Liverpool manager said. Asked if he preferred having a woman well to hit the target, and next from Moussa Dembele, who should have done running the line, he said: "The only thing I have learned is that these things better after Andrew Johnson set him up. [microphones] are always on." In encouraging the players he inherited to push forward and play in a more open Stockdale was the dominant figure as Liverpool responded well to the setback, style, Dalglish has made Liverpool instantly more pleasing on the eye but a by- product of his purist's approach is that opponents are also able to impose saving superbly from Meireles's diving header and from a rising drive from Glen Johnson. Moussa Dembele wasted a glorious chance to put Fulham ahead from themselves when Liverpool's standards drop from those they set in recording a Andrew Johnson's cutback but with Liverpool beginning to lose their way the resounding victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday. home side were gifted the lead through a series of fortunate breaks. At times, Fulham were able to enjoy unhindered spells of possession, albeit First, Clint Dempsey's slack pass was deflected into Torres, whose low shot was usually in areas of little danger. It is because of such shortcomings that Dalglish is keen to see his squad reshaped before the transfer window closes and Liverpool diverted beyond Stockdale's dive by the foot of Brede Hangeland and on to a post. Meireles and Stockdale flapped at the loose ball and, having failed to clear officials were due to meet their Fulham counterparts after the match to try to at the first attempt, John Pantsil sliced the second into his own net. Most obliging. complete Paul Konchesky's return to his former club on loan. Should that deal Liverpool were evidently nervous holding a slender lead and rightly so as Fulham proceed, Liverpool will recruit a former player of their own, with Stephen dominated the closing exchanges. Dempsey threatened three times, Hughes Warnock set to join until the end of the season. Even without additions, the Liverpool caretaker manager maintains that with a headed inches wide and Hangeland had a header sliced off the line by Meireles. Unlike Pantsil, his miscue sailed to safety and Liverpool held out to deliver little good fortune his team could become more consistent and Dalglish's request Dalglish's first Anfield victory since a 3-1 win over Everton in 1991. for luck was answered in comical style after 52 minutes. When Torres's shot Hughes said: "We are shaking our heads in the dressing room. I've been involved deflected off Brede Hangeland and on to a post it appeared that the chance had in many games here, as a player and a manager, where we've been dominated gone only for Paintsil to slice horribly into his own goal. Meireles was to play his most crucial role of the game in the closing stages when he popped up on his own and been lucky to come away with anything, but tonight was the complete opposite." goalline to clear a towering header from Hangeland as Liverpool ended the game Liverpool 4-2-3-1 nervously. They managed to hang on, though, and afforded their manager a place Reina; Kelly, Skrtel, Agger, Johnson; Gerrard, Poulsen (Aurelio, 80); Kuyt (Shelvey, once more in the record books that would have been unimaginable before he was granted his second coming.